Optical Engineer III

About the role:

The hardware engineering group is responsible for the design, build, and test of 10x’s consumer, and some of its internal instruments from R&D prototypes to manufacturing pilot builds. Most recently our group has shipped CytAssist and the industry leading Xenium Analyzer. We are currently looking for an outstanding Optical Engineer to join our optical team to take a lead role in developing and prototyping both verification / validation tests of formal DIRs and tests, fixtures, and analysis scripts to evaluate, troubleshoot, and improve the design, assembly, and operation of optical, optomechanical and optofluidic modules while working closely with hardware and firmware engineers.

Ideal candidates will be independent operators who are just as comfortable wielding a socket wrench as fine-tuning the alignment of high-performance lens assemblies. You take pride in keeping things organized, recognizing that precision in your work and your environment is key to success. You should have a passion for tinkering and hands-on work, while also enjoying data analysis. You’re the engineer other engineers rely on: technically excellent, approaching every problem with enthusiasm, and deeply committed to building high-quality instruments. A self-starter and team player, you’re driven by the hunger to explore unknown areas, tackle new challenges, and make systems work.

What you will be doing:

• Designing advanced test fixtures and alignment tooling.
• Assembling prototypes using CAD and off-the-shelf parts.
• Collecting and analyzing performance data: spectra, signals, and images.
• Identifying hardware bugs and resolving with design engineers and vendors.
• Troubleshooting issues like misalignment, contamination, and leaks

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• Bachelor's or higher in engineering or physical sciences.

• Hands-on experience with:

  • Light sources: lasers, LEDs, SLDs.
  • Detectors: sCMOS, CCD, photodiodes.
  • Optical fibers: coupling, collimation, alignment.
  • Measurement devices: power meters, spectrometers, oscilloscopes.
  • Optical components: mirrors, lenses, prisms, filters.
  • Mechanical components: kinematic, linear, and rotary stages.
  • Optical metrology: interferometry, ellipsometry, alignment telescope.

• Strong knowledge of geometrical optics.

• Skilled in optical lab work: assembly, cleaning, alignment of precision components.

• Comfortable disassembling and reassembling complex instruments.

• Proficient in Python or similar tools (e.g. MATLAB) for numerical analysis

Additionally, we’d like to see (Nice to Have):

• Experience with Optical CAD (e.g., ZEMAX).
• Advanced image processing (feature extraction, noise reduction, object recognition/tracking).
• Experience building data processing pipelines and automating test processes. Proficiency in Mechanical CAD (e.g., SolidWorks).
• Knowledge of high-NA imaging systems, wave/Fourier optics, and optical aberration theory.
• Familiarity with rapid prototyping (e.g., 3D printing).
• Proficient in Git version control.
• Expert ability to use a ball driver.

Below is the base pay range for this full time position. The actual base pay will depend on several factors unique to each candidate, including one’s skills, qualifications, and experience. At 10x, base pay is also just one component of the Company’s total compensation package. This role is also eligible for 10x’s equity grants, its comprehensive health and retirement benefit programs, and its annual bonus program or sales incentive program. Your 10x recruiter can share more about the Company’s total compensation package during the hiring process.

Pay Range$129,000—$175,000 USD

About 10x Genomics

At 10x Genomics, accelerating our understanding of biology is more than a mission for us. It is a commitment. This is the century of biology, and the breakthroughs we make now have the potential to change the world.

We enable scientists to advance their research, allowing them to address scientific questions they did not even know they could ask. Our tools have enabled fundamental discoveries across biology including cancer, immunology, and neuroscience.

Our teams are empowered and encouraged to follow their passions, pursue new ideas, and perform at their best in an inclusive and dynamic environment. We know that behind every scientific breakthrough, there is a deep infrastructure of talented people driving the life sciences industry and making it possible for scientists and clinicians to make new strides. We are dedicated to finding the very best person for every aspect of our work because the innovations and discoveries that we enable together will lead to better technologies, better treatments, and a better future. Find out how you can make a 10x difference.

Individuals seeking employment at 10x Genomics are considered without regards to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

10x does not accept unsolicited applicants submitted by third-party recruiters or agencies. Any resume or application submitted to 10x without a vendor agreement in place will be considered unsolicited and property of 10x, and 10x will not pay a placement fee.